Abstract:
Abundance and biomass of fish species collected during the day from 1979 to 2000 off the coast of the southeastern United States (Cape Fear, NC to Cape Canaveral, FL). The short bottom longline consists of 25.6 m of 6.4-mm treated solid braid Dacron groundline. 20 gangions (#5 or #7 hooks) are placed 1.2 m apart on the groundline, which is attached to polypropylene line and buoyed to the surface with polyball buoy and a trailer Hi-Flyer buoy.

Purpose:
For thirty years, the Marine Resources Research Institute (MRRI) at the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), through the Marine Resources Monitoring, Assessment and Prediction (MARMAP) program, has conducted fisheries-independent research on groundfish, reef fish, ichthyoplankton, and coastal pelagic fishes within the region between Cape Lookout, North Carolina, and Ft Pierce, ... Florida. The overall mission of the program has been to determine distribution, relative abundance, and critical habitat of economically and ecologically important fishes of the South Atlantic Bight (SAB), and to relate these features to environmental factors and exploitation activities. Research toward fulfilling these goals has included trawl surveys (from 6-350 m depth); ichthyoplankton surveys; location and mapping of reef habitat; sampling of reefs throughout the SAB; life history and population studies of priority species; tagging studies of commercially important species and special studies directed at specific management problems in the region. Survey work has also provided a monitoring program that has allowed the standardized sampling of fish populations over time and development of an historical base for future comparisons of long-term trends.

Annual MARMAP cruises to assess relative abundance of reef fishes in the sponge-coral and shelf edge (live bottom) habitats of the South Atlantic Bight (SAB) have been conducted since 1978. MARMAP currently samples natural live bottom habitat from Cape Lookout, NC to the Ft. Pierce area, FL. The current main MARMAP objectives are to:

(1) Sample reef fishes in the snapper-grouper complex at using a variety of gears in live bottom, rocky outcrop, high relief, and mud bottom habitats,

(2) Collect detailed data for time series description of species for annual composition and relative abundance,

(3) Obtain population characteristics on fish species of interest through life history information analysis, including age and growth, sex ratio, size and age of sexual maturation and transition, spawning season, fecundity, and diet. Priorities are dictated by the SEDAR schedule and other management considerations,

Description:
This will direct you to the OBIS-USA web site. Select Participants and Datasets from the panel on the left. Scroll down to MARMAP_ShortBottomLongline and click on the "Go" button on the right for a Dataset Detail screen where you will see a map of dataset contents, and tabs for options to Get Data, see Metadata, or use the Data Dashboard for that dataset

Quality
ATTRIBUTE ACCURACY REPORT: The data has been in use by the agency and other agencies since its inception. The database has undergone rigorous quality checks.

HORIZONTAL POSITIONAL ACCURACY REPORT: Used Differential GPS. Data is truncated to 2nd decimal point (about 1500 meters) with respect to location due to confidentiality.

Access Constraints
To view constraints placed on dataset, please see Policy and Disclaimer section (from the panel on the left) on OBIS-USA web site at http://www.usgs.gov/obis-usa.

DISTRIBUTION LIABILITY: OBIS-USA renders information prepared by contributors accessible through dynamic on-line publication. It does not peer-review the quality of the data provided. However, it is confident that the data ... are the best available in electronic form. OBIS-USA does not own or try to control or limit the use of any data or products accessible through its website. Accordingly, it does not take responsibility for the quality of such data or products, or the use that people may make of them.

Users must recognize that the analysis and interpretation of data requires background knowledge and expertise about marine biodiversity (including ecosystems and taxonomy). Users should be aware of possible errors in the use of species names, geo-referencing, data handing and mapping. They should crosscheck their results for possible errors, and qualify their interpretation of any results accordingly. Appropriate caution is thus necessary in the interpretation of results derived from OBIS-USA.

Use Constraints
Prior to use of these records in any analysis or report, MARMAP must be notified and if used the provenance of the original data must be acknowledged. Acknowledge the use of specific records from contributing MARMAP databases and acknowledge the use of the OBIS-USA facility. Recognize the limitations of data in OBIS-USA.